Dynasties

Can I just say that all this hand-wringing in the left blogosphere plus Rachel Maddow over the possibility that Caroline Kennedy might be appointed US Senator from New York strikes me as ridiculous? Has anyone ever heard of John Adams and John Quincy Adams? It's the way we roll, people. Sure, there's the idea that we aren't Britain, and we don't have royalty, and people should be elected (huh, hello Bush v. Gore), but the fact is that politics at the US Senate level is not for the uninitiated. It helps immensely if politics is in the blood, so to speak, Obama's election notwithstanding.

Caroline Kennedy is a lawyer and author. She's more conversant with civil liberties than our current so-called president. That's enough for me.

She would also have to run on her own in 2010, meaning that she basically would have to start running for office as soon as she's sworn in. That's soon enough to face the voters.

Besides, the idea that Jack's daughter would be a senator gives me the warm fuzzies. Case closed.

Grudge Match

McCain/Palin

"Who's Running [Her]?"* Part 1.0

Washington Post: "Husband Todd [Palin], a celebrity in his own right as a champion snowmobile racer before becoming known as "First Dude," confers with Cabinet officials and is copied on the governor's e-mails."

And:

"Guests summoned to the governor's office often find Todd Palin sitting in on the meeting.

"Tom Whitstine, a fellow Wasilla-based oil worker and friend, recalled raising concerns to Todd Palin about legislation that would impact the oil industry.

"'I talked to Todd sitting on the couch in his house there on Safari Lake, in April 2007,' said Whitstine, who expresses disappointment with Palin's performance. 'It's a known fact Todd was right there when those kind of policy decisions were being made.'"

*George Smiley in Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy.

Sen. Barabara Boxer speaks out

Senator Barbara Boxer has spoken out toughly this week.

On the selection of Sarah Palin as the Republican Vice Presidential pick:

The Vice President is a heartbeat away from becoming President, so to choose someone with not one hour's worth of experience on national issues is a dangerous choice.

If John McCain thought that choosing Sarah Palin would attract Hillary Clinton voters, he is badly mistaken.

The only similarity between her and Hillary Clinton is that they are both women. On the issues, they could not be further apart.

Senator McCain had so many other options if he wanted to put a women on his ticket, such as Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison or Senator Olympia Snowe - they would have been an appropriate choice compared to this dangerous choice.

In addition, Sarah Palin is under investigation by the Alaska state legislature which makes this more incomprehensible.

On John McCain and his "fighting" rhetoric:

Last night at the Republican National Convention, John McCain used the word "fight" more than 40 times in his speech.

In the 16 years that we have served together in the Senate, I have seen John McCain fight.

I have seen him fight against raising the federal minimum wage 14 times.

I have seen him fight against making sure that women earn equal pay for equal work.

I have seen him fight against a women's right to choose so consistently that he received a zero percent vote rating from pro-choice organizations.

I have seen him fight against helping families gain access to birth control.

I have seen him fight against Social Security, even going so far as to call its current funding system "an absolute disgrace."

And I saw him fight against the new GI Bill of Rights until it became politically untenable for him to do so.

John McCain voted with President Bush 95 percent of the time in 2007 and 100 percent of the time in 2008 -- that's no maverick.

We do have two real fighters for change in this election -- their names are Barack Obama and Joe Biden.

"What's Going On?"* Part 1.0

Sarah Palin attended five colleges in six years.






*George Smiley in Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy.

George Carlin tells you

Rest in Peace, George, you will you be missed.